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Wendy Williams Was a Girl Scout & Played Clarinet in School - Look inside Her Unique Life Story

Aby Rivas
Feb 11, 2021
12:05 P.M.

Way before her successful foray into the entertainment world, TV icon Wendy Williams grew up as an active sports child and even had a stint as a Girl Scout. Here is a look at how far she has come along.

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Wendy Williams is one of the most seasoned TV show personalities, and she is well in her rights to embody that title with the right amount of class and wit.

Being outspoken and mostly undaunted has been a huge part of Wendy’s life since childhood, and it is safe to say that although she did not come from a showbiz family, the star already showed entertainment streaks as a little child.

Wendy Williams attends the ceremony honoring her with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame held on October 17, 2019, in Hollywood, California. | Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Wendy Williams attends the ceremony honoring her with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame held on October 17, 2019, in Hollywood, California. | Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic

EARLY LIFE AND CHILDHOOD

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Wendy, who was born in 1964, is one of three children that New Jersey natives Thomas and Shirley Williams gave birth to. When Wendy was five years old, her family moved from Asbury Park in New Jersey to Ocean Township.

Growing up, she was quite different from her siblings. While her older sister, Wanda, was quiet and bookish, Wendy was more on the boisterous side, quite outspoken and active in many extracurricular activities.

Wendy Williams visits SiriusXM Studios on September 6, 2018 in New York City. | Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

Wendy Williams visits SiriusXM Studios on September 6, 2018 in New York City. | Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

Wendy’s physique was also exceptional, and by sixth grade, she already stood 5’7”. Her height and lovely nature gave her an edge in sports, and the “Wendy Williams Show” icon joined the Girl Scout division in her school, played clarinet in the marching band, and contested in swimming competitions.

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Once speaking about what it was like growing up, the National Radio Hall of Famer shared that she experienced a tortured childhood filled with fat shaming. Wendy noted that she never attended prom and did not dabble much in teenage romance.

Wendy Williams attends Wendy Digital Event at Atlanta Tech Village Rooftop on August 29, 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia. | Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Wendy Williams attends Wendy Digital Event at Atlanta Tech Village Rooftop on August 29, 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia. | Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images

WENDY’S CAREER

In 1986, the 56-year-old showbiz star graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in communications and Journalism. As a college student, Wendy got interested in radio and hosted her show on the school’s radio station.

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The radio work partly defined her career, and she moved from different cities working in radio stations and building her showbiz portfolio. However, the star was not satisfied with some of her stints where she had no real freedom to express her thoughts.

 Wendy Williams speaks onstage during her celebration of 10 years of 'The Wendy Williams Show' at The Buckhead Theatre on August 16, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. | Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Wendy Williams speaks onstage during her celebration of 10 years of 'The Wendy Williams Show' at The Buckhead Theatre on August 16, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. | Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Moving on, the award-winning host finally got a chance to show her untethered radio talent with her show, “The Wendy Williams Experience,” where she talked about sensitive topics about her life and gave tough-love advice to fans who called in.

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Even celebrities were not left out of her brash style of hosting, and her 2003 interview with the late Whitney Houston will be a thing to remember for a long time. Wendy did not cut Houston any slacks at the time, as she dug into the singer’s history with drug use.

After the interview, she became famous, and five years later, she forayed into TV hosting with her self-named show that keeps thriving. In 2017, Wendy fainted on TV while she was in the “Statue of Liberty” Halloween costume and was said to have been diagnosed with Graves’ disease.

Wendy Williams attends the Vulture Festival Presented By AT&T - Milk Studios, Day 1 at Milk Studios on May 19, 2018, in New York City. | Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Vulture Festival

Wendy Williams attends the Vulture Festival Presented By AT&T - Milk Studios, Day 1 at Milk Studios on May 19, 2018, in New York City. | Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Vulture Festival

DIVORCE FROM EX-HUSBAND

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As of last year, more of her personal life became rocky after she and her longtime spouse, Kevin Hunter, got entangled in divorce drama. This happened after news got out that Hunter fathered a child outside their marriage.

The pair, who have a grown son together, worked as business partners since they got married in 1997. Hunter was Wendy’s manager up until the time of separation.

Wendy Williams and Kevin Hunter attend 2018 The Hunter Foundation Gala at Hammerstein Ballroom on July 18, 2018 in New York City. | Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images

Wendy Williams and Kevin Hunter attend 2018 The Hunter Foundation Gala at Hammerstein Ballroom on July 18, 2018 in New York City. | Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images

Although Wendy denied accusations against her spouse for a long time, she admitted on her show that they called off their marriage because he fathered a child out of wedlock.

Their divorce proceedings saw Hunter ending his stint as the Daytime Emmy winner’s manager. He also stopped being an executive producer on her show. Alimony was ruled out of their separation while they split the profit from the sale of their New Jersey mansion.

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